The news reports a Minnesota state budget surplus of nearly $2 billion!
Minnesota prides itself on being the frontrunner among states in so many programs and services. Sadly neglected are our state's veterans. It wasn't always that way. Before the term of Gov. Rudy Perpich in 1982, military retirement income and railroad retirement income were exempt from state income taxes. During the Perpich administration, those two groups were added to the list to collect income taxes. The powerful railroad lobbyists were able to reverse the decision regarding their retirement income, therefore enabling railroad retirees to enjoy a retirement income free from Minnesota state income tax. Military retirees remained silent while Governor Perpich called the state's military retirees "an insignificant minority" and allowed taxes to be collected on the retirement of military members.
Minnesota is in the very bottom five of all states in its treatment of veterans, as evidenced by a summary of benefits offered by all states recently published in the Military Officer magazine. Minnesota is one of only five states not allowing exemption from state taxes on military retirement and survivor benefits!
As the debate continues on who benefits from the budget surplus, please give consideration to this group of Minnesotans, military veterans, spouses and children, who asked for nothing but has sacrificed all. Let's remove Minnesota from that list of only five states that collects tax on military retirement and join the other forty five states that honor veterans by allowing their retirement income to be free from state taxes.
Faye Leach
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Brainerd
